Pope Francis Says He Would Visit North Korea Upon Invitation

Pope Francis has asked for invitation from North Korea to visit the isolated country, South Korean broadcaster KBS reported.

"I will go there as soon as they invite me. I'm saying they should invite me. I will not refuse," KBS quoted the pope as saying in the interview aired on Thursday.

Such a visit would be the first by a pope to the reclusive state, which does not allow priests to be permanently stationed there. Little is known about how many of its citizens are Catholic, or how they practice their faith.

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is Catholic, has urged Francis to visit North Korea, saying a papal visit to Pyongyang would help build peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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